Recipe 5.20. Saving Your Desktop Settings

Problem

When you restart XP after shutting it down, the desktop settings from your last setting weren't saved. You want to make sure that the settings are saved every time you exit XP.

Solution

Using the Registry

1. Run the Registry Editor (see Chapter 9, Working with the Registry), and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Program Manager\Restrictions.

2. Create or edit the DWORD value NoSaveSettings and give it a value of 0.

3. Exit the Registry. From now on, when you exit XP, your desktop settings will be saved.

Discussion

Windows XP normally keeps track of your desktop settings, so that when you log out or shut down, it saves those settings so that they're in place the next time you log on. If you log off rather than restart, it will even keep track of open windows and their locations on your desktop. But if your Registry has been changed, perhaps by an application that you installed or for some other reason, the settings won't be saved unless you edit the Registry, as detailed in this recipe.

See Also

For advice on other shutdown problems, see "Windows XP Boot Problems & Edits" at http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/win_xp_restart.htm.